Abington school barely avoids lockdown after man nearby with shotgun placed in custody

Monday

Apr 7, 2014 at 12:54 PMApr 8, 2014 at 2:25 AM

Center School is one of many in region in the past week that were involved in emergency situations.

Benjamin Paulin The Patriot Ledger @BPaulin_Ledger

ABINGTON – School Superintendent Peter Schafer received a message from police Monday alerting him there was a man with a gun near Center Elementary School and was ready to put the school into lockdown.Abington police responded to a call of a man who was threatening to kill himself with a shotgun on Bank Street about noon Monday. Bank Street is less than a quarter mile from the school.

The man was quickly taken into police custody and Schafer got another message saying the situation had been diffused.

The school is one of many in region in the past week that were involved in emergency situations.

Last Wednesday, the George School and Angelo School in Brockton went into a lockdown as a precautionary measure while police searched for suspects involved in a car chase.

In Norton, at the New Testament Christian School, an ammonia leak at a nearby business caused the school to be evacuated. Students and faculty were sheltered at another school in Norton while the situation was handled.

On Monday, Schafer said he could not go into specific detail as to what happens when a lockdown is ordered but said, “things move pretty quickly and the main concern is the safety of the students.”

“We just focus on our safety procedures,” he said.

The man, whom police did not identify, was in his house at 135 Bank St. when a woman called and told police he was threatening to kill himself and carrying a shotgun.

The man, who is in his late 30s, turned himself over to police without incident and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Abington Deputy Police Chief Christopher Cutter said they recovered an unloaded shotgun, a BB gun and a compound bow inside the house.

The incident is being investigated by Abington police and the man may face charges.

“It doesn’t appear that he had any type of a license for the shotgun. We’re looking into it now,” Cutter said.

Schafer said a text message was sent out to the community by police notifying them of the situation and another was sent out saying it had been diffused. A letter was also sent home to the parents of the students who attend the prekindergarten and kindergarten school with about 190 students.